


Camp Miraculous

by JadeJem



Series: Camp Miraculous [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Camp Miraculous, F/M, LadyNoir - Freeform, Love, Marichat, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Miraculous Ladybug AU, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Multi, adrienette - Freeform, ladrien, miraculous ladybug season 2, too many ships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-01-29 17:57:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12636219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeJem/pseuds/JadeJem
Summary: In which Marinette Dupain-Cheng is accepted into Camp Miraculous, the camp of her dreams, and makes a name for herself as Ladybug... both in and out of the mask. With haughty partner Chat Noir by her side half the time, and gorgeous model Adrien Agreste by her side the other half of the time, maybe solving these puzzles and winning the whole camp won't be so bad... as long as the things set ahead of her are within the realm of the non-magical.





	1. Make it Known

**Author's Note:**

> Fanfiction idea by me. :) 
> 
> *NOT A CROSSOVER*
> 
> Enjoy. ;)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette Dupain-Cheng is accepted into the camp of her dreams, Camp Miraculous, and meets new people while also making a name for herself.

"Bye, Maman! Bye, Papa!" A bluenette with sparkling cerulean-blue eyes waves excitedly at her parents as they drive away, leaving her in the hands of a camp counselor for the rest of the summer. 

Camp Miraculous; a camp the blue-haired girl has dreamed about going to for most of her life. And now, she's finally here. 

Said girl tosses her duffel-bag over her shoulder and excitedly looks for the front office to see what her 'special nickname' for the summer will be. The most exciting and fun part about Camp Miraculous is getting special nicknames and masks. No one is supposed to reveal their identity because that would ruin the fun. 

Not two weeks ago, the bluenette had received her mask in the mail. It was red with black spots, and that same mask now adorns her face at this very moment. Many other campers swarm the area, all wearing masks and chatting like old friends.

The somewhat shy girl pushes past many different boys and girls—all of whom are probably her age—to get to the office to receive her official camp name.

_Wait, I don't have to be shy! Nobody knows me._

The thought hits her like a freight train, and a sudden confident smile takes hold of her lips. From that point onward, she laughs and makes small conversation with others, shaking hands on occasion. 

A line longer than expected leading from the front office is what stops the bluenette in her tread. 

"You're kidding," she mumbles, her mood deflating almost instantly. 

A girl with ombré hair yanks her into line out of nowhere. The blue-haired beauty lets out a small shriek and stumbles before catching herself. Her eyes trail up to see a girl with tan skin and an orange and white mask on her face. 

"The name's—oops. Um, just kidding. Guess I can't tell you, huh?" the ombré laughs lightly, and the bluenette's mood lifts as fast as it had fallen. 

"I'm—oh, this is hard. Um... I can't really tell you my name until I get it."

Both girls share another laugh before the ombré holds out her hand. "Well, it's nice to meet you." 

The bluenette takes her hand with a smile. "You too! You seem like a cool person."

And as the line moves forward, the two exchange information about their home lives and whatnot. They even admired the jewelry they had received with their masks; the ombré a fox-tail necklace, and the bluenette a pair of red and black spotted earrings. 

Finally, the girl with the orange mask is called into the office, and the bluenette waves her farewell. 

"See you on the other side!" The blue-haired beauty laughs at the ombré's parting words before the doors shut. 

A large black limousine catches the girl's attention, and she turns to see a boy with a black leather mask and a pair of matching cat ears step out of the vehicle. 

"Great," she mutters sarcastically, "just what this camp needs: a rich-kid jerk."

Though she can't deny: the guy's good-looking. With shiny, tousled blonde hair and bright, vivid and lively green eyes, he sure is going places. 

He looks up and catches her gaze (though most of the camp is staring at him at the moment). Then the boy has the audacity to wink! At her! The bluenette rolls her eyes at his flirty attitude before turning back to see the doors to the front office open in front of her. 

"Rena Rouge!" the ombré announces proudly as soon as she steps out. "Good luck," she whispers into the bluenette's ear. 

She nods in response with a challenging smile before entering. As soon as she does so, the doors behind her close, leaving the room mostly dark. Towards the back of the room, a gigantic, purple butterfly stain-glass window is the thing that catches her attention. Not seeing anyone else in the room, she approaches the work of art with wonder. She's about to touch what she assumes is the cold surface when a voice calls out to her. 

"Ladybug."

The bluenette whirls around. "What? Who's there?"

"You are Marinette Dupain-Cheng, are you not?"

Marinette nods slowly, though she is almost positive the man who spoke can't see her. "Yes, I am Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

There's a long sigh before the man from the shadows speaks again. "You are now known as Ladybug. I expect great things from you, do not fail me. Leave."

Marinette's brow creases into a frown. "What? That's it?"

No response. 

"I've been waiting to be here my whole life, and this is the greeting I get?"

A short man steps out from the shadows, his eyes narrowed into slits. "I could have let the other man in charge deal with you, but I wanted to see and meet you personally."

Surprise colors Marinette's expression. "What..?"

"You are now Ladybug. Do well, be a leader, thrive while you are here. There is a great evil lurking, and I trust you can and will take care of it. You will report to Cabin One. That is all for now."

Ladybug bows her head in respect before scurrying out of the dark room. She opens the door to come face to face with the same cat-boy from earlier. He smirks flirtatiously at her. Ladybug rolls her eyes before brushing past him. A hand stops her from moving further, and she turns to see a kinder, a _softer_ , expression on the boy's face. 

"I'm not the best at first impressions, but I can already tell we'll be great paw-tners," he says confidently. 

_Was that a cat pun?_

The bluenette raises her eyebrows, though they're hidden by the mask. "Wait—partners?"

Blondie sends her a crooked smile. "You're Ladybug, right?"

"And you're...?"

"Chat Noir," he finishes for her, a smirk playing along his lips again. "Wasn't too hard to figure out, what, with the cat ears and all." 

Ladybug smiles lightly and flicks one of said ears. "Adorable," she teases. 

A blush explodes across Chat Noir's face, and he smiles sheepishly. "Y-yeah..."

Ladybug jabs her thumb at the doors leading into the office, a small smirk playing along her lips. "I think it's your turn."

Chat looks at her in confusion before a switch flips in his head. "Oh, right. See you, my Lady," he salutes her with two fingers before disappearing through the double doors. 

" _'My Lady'?_ " Ladybug murmurs to herself questioningly. She shrugs and hauls her duffel bag into a more comfortable position on her shoulder before trudging towards Cabin One. 

 

***   *   ***

 

"The cabins are mixed?!" 

Rena Rouge nods, casting a weary glance in the direction of a dark-skinned boy with a green turtle-like mask on his face. "Yep. Two sets of partners in one room. On the bright side, we have separate bathrooms," Rena tries to lighten Ladybug's mood, but her jaw only drops further at this information.

"You've got to be kidding m—" The door suddenly flies open, and in steps the ever-haughty Chat Noir. Ladybug holds back a groan when his face immediately brightens as his eyes fall upon her.

"My Lady!" he chirps happily, tossing his duffel onto the bottom of Ladybug's bunk.

Ladybug can feel Rena's eyes on her, and she laughs weirdly. "What's with the formalities? We're partners, there's no need for that."

A small smirk graces Chat's face, and he swipes her hand up, pressing a light kiss to her knuckles. "This is who I am, partner." He stares intently into her eyes, the green nearly piercing her very soul. Or, that's how it feels. The atmosphere suddenly tightens, and Ladybug quickly pulls her hand away when Chat's eyes spark mischievously. "Right," she clears her throat, and her gaze turns to Rena, who's smirking smugly at them. "Chat, this is Rena Rouge. Rena Rouge, Chat Noir," she gestures between the two of them, and they shake hands.

Ladybug expects Chat to do something extravagant like swooping into a bow or winking or even kissing Rena's hand flirtatiously. But she is surprised when Chat simply shakes her hand with a smile and turns back to Ladybug.

Rena approaches the boy with the green teen-mutant-ninja-turtle-looking mask and gestures from him to the other duo. "Carapace, Chat Noir and Ladybug. Chat Noir and Ladybug, Carapace, my partner." Chat Noir approaches Carapace and they do this weird guy thing where they clasp hands and pat each other on the back. When Ladybug approaches, she simply just smiles sweetly and shakes his hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Carapace."

Carapace stares at her a bit longer than completely appropriate, his mouth slightly agape before he seemingly blushes and shakes her hand back. "Uh, y-you too."

A small frown graces Chat Noir's face, and he quickly turns it into a smile. 

_I can't be jealous, I barely know the girl._

Loud cackling from outside of the cabin has the four running out to see the issue.

" _Vanisher?_ What kind of a name is that?! And your mask is almost completely see-through, so we all can see what a huge loser you are!" The source of the voice is a blonde girl wearing a yellow and black mask, reminding Chat Noir of a bumblebee.

Campers surrounding the two girls in a circle all start laughing nervously, as if they don't actually think what's happening is funny. The girl known as Vanisher sniffles. A frown pulls at Ladybug's brows, and she steps into the circle without a second thought.

"And who are you to be criticizing other people? Far as I can tell, her mask is pretty cool and original." 

The blonde girl turns to look at Ladybug with a sneer, giving her a once-over before responding, "Why don't you just go on and get lost, Lady Loser."

Ladybug steps closer to the girl without hesitation. "Bullying is what girls do when they're insecure. If your plan is to spread evil and be wicked, then why don't _you_ go on and get lost? This is an evil-free zone, and right now, my 'Lady Loser' censors are picking up on some mad vibes from the wicked department." Ladybug turns to the other campers, her eyes filled with compassion. "You guys don't have to be afraid. As long as I'm here, no bully or villain is going to ruin your camp experience. That is a promise I'm making all of you."

Silence conquers the air for a full minute, and the blonde girl huffs and stomps off, mumbling something along the lines of, "Whatever, losers."

After another moment or so, the crowd of campers adorned in masks begin clapping and cheering. "Ladybug, Ladybug!"

A small blush coats Ladybug's cheeks, for she was not expecting this reaction from them. What she doesn't notice is the way her partner stares at her, practical hearts dancing in his eyes.

"I don't know who she is, but I love her, this girl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Chapter 1? Complete!
> 
> Xoxo, J.


	2. Unwanted Attention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Chat's feelings towards Ladybug deepen, and Marinette highkey attacks someone for being a bitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, loves. Hope this suffices. :D
> 
> Enjoy. ;)

Ladybug lays awake, staring at the wood ceiling. The wooden arch overhead shapes the roof, and she vaguely wonders if all things are as simple as they seem. Sure, the beam is arched, but the ceiling is molded around it. Shaking her head, she restlessly rolls over onto her side. 

 _'What silly thoughts,'_ she chides herself mentally. 

Quiet snores from the next bunk over stop her from attempting to fall asleep. She sits up.  _It's no use. Not after the day I've had._

After dissing that blonde girl, the rest of the day had included people following her around, random campers offering her their lunch (which she politely declined), and even a random girl asking for her autograph. Chat Noir had been strangely quiet, but Ladybug hadn't really minded all that much. She still isn't entirely sure how she feels about him yet, in all honesty. 

The bluenette carefully and quietly maneuvers herself down the ladder of the bunkbed. She cautiously tiptoes across the room to where her duffel bag rests, askew, on the floor. The wooden floor creaks under her as she crouches down and unzips her bag. She rummages around for a good minute before her fingers finally close around the smooth surface of her sketchbook. 

_Gotcha!_

Marinette pulls it out, a victorious grin spreading across her face, and fishes out a pencil from one of the side pockets. Her mask lays on top of her bag, forgotten, as she tiptoes back over to her shared bunk. 

At night, the campers are allowed to take off their masks, as long as they don't reveal their identities. Marinette has to refrain herself from squinting through the darkness to see Chat Noir's sleeping face. 

She grabs the lamp resting at the bottom of the ladder and climbs up the said thing slowly. The bed creaks when she rests her weight on it, and she flinches. Marinette strains her ears to hear any signs of someone stirring, and is relieved when the only sounds are the continuous thrums of her dorm-mates' soft snores. Marinette flips the lamp on to its lowest setting, opens her sketchbook, and begins scribbling ideas down. 

With all these fun masks, new ideas have been attacking her brain from the moment she's gotten here!

The familiar vibration of her pen moving across her paper is relaxing, and Marinette finds herself getting lost in design elements and color choices. So lost, she almost doesn't hear someone speak. 

"You've been going at it for almost half an hour."

Marinette jumps violently, dropping her sketchpad and ramming her elbow into the lamp. It flickers and goes out. She scowls into the darkness where the voice had come from—the side of her bed. "Chat!" she hisses, rubbing her throbbing elbow. 

She can just FEEL his grin. "Yes, m'Lady?"

"Don't you 'm'Lady' me," she snaps, flicking where she assumes his face to be. Her finger makes contact with his unmasked nose. 

_Bull's-eye!_

Chat chuckles quietly. "Sorry, but I can't help it. Your reactions a- _mew_ -se me," he purrs, his voice getting closer as his silhouette draws nearer to her face. 

"Y-you better not have seen my face," she stammers. His hot breath fans her cheeks in a light caress, and she finds herself becoming very flustered at their close proximity. 

"Don't worry, Buggaboo. I saw nothing. Cat's honor." His dark outline raises a hand in the air, and she rolls her eyes. 

"Right, because the word of some alley cat is gonna have me believing in—what next? Fairies?" she mocks shamelessly. 

Chat's quiet chuckles once again fill the silent darkness. "Are you excited for the designated 'Unmasked Day?'"

Marinette cocks an eyebrow. "The what?"

"The 'Unmasked Day.'" Marinette can hear the frown in his voice. "There's one day of every week where all the campers meet up at the lake without masks. However, we have to complete challenges with assigned partners... Did you read the info packet?"

"The what?" Marinette feels stupid having asked the same question a second time, but is curious on this supposed packet that she hadn't received. 

"Huh. Maybe not everyone got one... Well, anyway, our Unmasked Day for this week is tomorrow! We all have to leave with our masks on, but show up with masks off. I'm surprised Rena didn't mention it to you." His figure jabs its thumb at the bunkbed beside their own. 

Marinette shrugs. "Maybe she thought I already knew? This is sure news to me."

"Weird."

"Yeah."

Crickets from outside can be heard singing their erratic melody of early morning, and Marinette yawns. 

"You should probably get some rest. I doubt you need any beauty sleep, but I'm sure being that pretty can be exhausting; even for you." 

Marinette's cheeks glow crimson, and she's grateful for the cover of the early morning darkness. "Oh, shoo. The last thing I need at this time is you and your pretty words," she retorts, sounding as flustered as she appears. She vaguely sees the flash of a pair of bright green eyes before Chat's whole silhouette disappears into the blackness. Marinette moves the lantern to the end of her bed along with her sketchbook and pencil. She lays back down, and soon finds herself floating into a deep, dream-filled sleep. 

 

***   *   ***

 

"Man, she will just _not_ wake up!" Rena exclaims, frustration coating her voice after the fifth attempt. 

Ladybug (fortunately for her) is facing the other way, her beautiful midnight curls moving up and down slowly as she breathes in, and out. Adrien sighs.  _I can't even see her face and I know she's beautiful._

He turns to Carapace, who shrugs unhelpfully. 

Out of nowhere, Ladybug sits up, breathing hard. Her bangs hang over her eyes and her hair shields her face as she stares down at the sheets. At least, that's what it looks like she's staring at. Chat isn't sure because he can't see where she's looking. Ladybug lifts her arms up and rubs at her eyes furiously. 

"What time is it?" she queries wearily. 

Carapace looks down at his watch. "Nine o' four. We have to be down at the lake by nine fifteen."

Rena groans, grabs Carapace's wrist, and stomps out of the cabin. "See you there!" she calls before slamming the door. 

Chat flicks his bemused gaze back to Ladybug. 

_Ladybug._

"Can you grab my mask for me?" He startles at the sound of her (admittedly sexy) morning voice before nodding furiously.

He searches the room almost feverishly with his eyes before they land on her opened duffel. Her mask rests atop the bag, and he strolls over to it. He grabs it and jogs up to her bunk bed. She extends her arm blindly, probably expecting the mask, and instead receives a kiss on the top of her hand. Chat chuckles mischievously before placing the mask in her slightly shaking palm. Ladybug pulls the mask on, adjusts it, and turns to glare at him with pooched lips. 

"Jerk," she mutters stubbornly, swinging her legs over the side of the bunkbed and jumping to the floor.

She struts past him with an indignant look on her face. Her dark curls bounce on her shoulders as she turns to throw another glare at him with those mesmerizing eyes of crystal-blue. Chat grins.  _Man, I like this girl._

She grabs a light blue t-shirt and a pair of shorts and walks into the bathroom without another word. Chat moves the bag he's holding from one hand to the other. 

Everyone is required to bring a change of clothes. Though Adrien isn't exactly sure how that'll work... Will they all have to change in the woods?

Ladybug steps out of the bathroom with renewed twin-tails, tamed bangs, and a fresh vibe. 

"Let's go," she orders more than suggests. 

_What a turn-on..._

He follows her out of the door and into the blazing sunlight. The line of trees surrounding them glow in the morning light. Sunshine streams through thick pockets in the trees and reflects onto the meadow-like grass below. 

"It's so beautiful here." Chat hadn't even noticed that she had stopped walking to look around them. 

"Yeah," he agrees, his senses slightly dulled as he stares at her flushed face and shining bluebell eyes, "it is."

She shoots him a funny look before jogging to catch up with him. The two walk in silence until they get to a certain point. They agree to break off and just change in the woods because, as Chat put it: "If not here then where?"

Adrien carefully removes the mask from his face, surveying the area for prying eyes. He sees nothing and decides to pull his shirt off. After getting redressed, he brushes his hair out of his eyes and walks onwards. After another three or so minutes of walking, the lake peers through the trees at him, shimmering in all its morning glory. Unmasked campers scatter the shoreline, and Adrien searches for the blue eyes he's become accustomed to in the past 24 hours. His shoulders sag in disappointment when he doesn't see a girl resembling Ladybug, and he trudges towards the biggest group of people. 

"Hey, guys," he greets them, setting his stuff down. "I'm Adrien."

Faces smile back at him. 

A very athletic-looking girl with red-pink hair in a messy side ponytail extends her hand. "Alix."

Adrien shakes her hand with a gentle smile. A tall boy with big shoulders claps him on the back. "The name's Kim. Nice ta meetcha, blondie."

The others introduce themselves, and Adrien finds himself making lots of new friends. Rose, Juleka, Alix, Kim, Mylène, Ivan and Max all welcome him into their conversation with open arms. They form a circle in the sand and start playing ice-breaker games. 

A boy in a red cap with beats thrown around his neck approaches the circle almost hesitantly. "Hey, dudes. Mind if I chillax with you?" His gaze lands on Adrien, who grins. 

"Sure," Adrien says, patting the spot in the sand beside himself. The others murmur their agreements, and Adrien learns that this boy's name is Nino. 

Soon, two girls approach the circle. "Adrikins!" 

_Oh no. I'd recognize that banshee shriek anywhere._

Adrien turns around wearily to see Chloé Bourgeois sprinting at him, her arms open as if trying to get blown away by the wind like a kite. 

_Where's life insurance when I need it?_

"Chloé!" Adrien greets with false excitement. 

She lunges at him, her claw-like nails groping his back and sides. "I didn't know you were here! I haven't been able to recognize you!"

_God bless._

"Yeah... It's pretty difficult to know who's who with the masks and all," Adrien points out. Adrien notices the girl with fiery orange hair kept tame by a headband standing behind Chloé, seemingly cowering in her presence. "And who are you?" Adrien asks softly, not wanting to frighten the girl off. 

Her gaze dances from Chloé's menacing face, to the group, then to Adrien. "I-I'm—" 

"Irrelevant," Chloé finishes for her with a yawn. "I wonder if this place does manicures...?"

The girl's face falls, but she stays silent nonetheless. Another pair of girls wander their way, and Adrien stares a little longer at the shorter of the two. 

With the words 'Princess' scrawled across her pink shirt, she has a very sweet and innocent look going for herself. Her midnight hair is pulled into twin-tails held by ribbons, and her dark bangs blow in the mild wind. She laughs at something the ombré next to her says, and Adrien notices the spark in her bluebell eyes with a lurch of his stomach. 

Now, why does this mental description sound familiar to Adrien...?

The two stop in front of the group. The ombré grins a stunning grin, and the bluenette smiles sweetly and waves. 

"Can we join you guys?" the ombré asks, confidence radiating off of her in thick waves. 

"Um, no."

The group turns to look at Chloé, including the two newcomers. "Um... Why not?" the ombré challenges, cocking an eyebrow. 

Chloé snorts and gives the confident girl a once-over. "Oh, please. Save me the work of answering you and your dull-self. I don't have the time." She fakes a dramatic yawn, and the dark-haired girl rolls her eyes. Chloé suddenly fixes her with a nasty glare. "Got something to say, short-stuff?"

The bluenette's outer-exterior falters. 

"Pick on someone your own temperature, you cold-hearted brat," the brunette snaps, taking a small protective step in front of the short bluenette. 

"I'd pick on you, but your just a little over-sized," Chloé sneers. 

The bluenette gives a little gasp. Adrien watches the rage flash in her cerulean eyes. "Take it back." Her voice is icy and sharp. 

"Mari, it's fine—"

"Take it back, you spoiled brat!" the girl, Mari, shouts, drawing the attention of every camper in the vicinity. She shakes with visible anger as she glares daggers at Chloé. 

Chloé snorts, but Adrien does not miss the bead of sweat that trickles down her hairline. "No."

Mari stares her down for another moment. Then, out of nowhere, she lunges at Chloé. Exclamations of horror and shouts fill the once-calm air as the bluenette lands on top of Chloé with a furious war cry. 

"Get off of her! Marinette!" The ombré grabs Mari—Marinette's arms and yanks her away from Chloé.  

Chloé sits there, horror-struck, and looking very shaken. "W-what the hell?!" she screams indignantly, her ponytail looking frazzled as she whips her head back and forth. Her shock turns into a bubbling hatred that plasters itself all over her face. "You've just made a big mistake, _Marinette._ " And with that, she gathers her bag and struts off, the girl with the orange hair trailing behind her hesitantly. 

Silence conquers the air. A sort of fuzzy shock buzzes in Adrien's chest as he watches the bluenette turn to her friend tearfully. The ombré nods, and the two walk away. 

_What just happened?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #damnokay
> 
> Lil cliffhanger, but that doesn't really matter because you're just gonna click on the next chapter. XD
> 
> Good story so far? 
> 
> Xoxo, J.


	3. An Ideal Ordeal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Marinette and Adrien are partnered up and work together to solve puzzles, also becoming more and more familiar with one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, loves. Puttin' the pedal to the metal.
> 
> Enjoy. ;)

_"Campers! Gather 'round, please. Yes, good mor_ ** _NING_ ** **—** _"_

The campers and Camp Director Fu all cringe away from the megaphone, the screeching noise having warped Mr. Fu's voice to sound like that of a banshee's. Mr. Fu clears his throat and brings the megaphone back up to his mouth to continue speaking.

_"As I was saying... Today is the day! If you have all read the detailed packets, then you know that today is this week's Unmasked Day. Not only that, but today is one of two week-long competitions that you will experience during this camp. Keep in mind that the partners are random but final. There have been a couple of changes regarding the famous Unmasked Day. These changes are incredibly recent (as in this morning...), so we humbly ask for your patience. There will not be only one day a week dedicated to the Unmasked Day; it will now be every other DAY. Moving on..."_

Mr. Fu pulls out a slip of folded paper and begins reading names off of it. People begin moving about the crowd, boys and girls getting together. Marinette's stomach plummets.

_Well, I won't be with Alya, but how bad can my partner be?_

_"...Alya Césaire and Nino Lahiffe, Chloé Bourgeois and Nathaniel Kurtzerg, Adrien Agreste and Marinette Dupain-Cheng..."_

_Adrien Agreste?_

"See ya, girl," Alya bids with a wave, going off in search of her male partner.

Marinette waves at Alya's turned back and sighs. Though people have been looking at her like she's a hero of sorts, she sure doesn't feel like one. She had frickin'  _jumped_ the camp's mean girl within the first two minutes of meeting her! How utterly ridiculous and childish of her.

The bluenette turns, ready to hunt her partner down, only to run face-first into a firm chest. With a yelp, she tips and falls backwards, landing butt-first in the sand. A scowl fixes her brow as she looks up, a scolding resting on the tip of her tongue.

She's met with a sheepish grin and a hand extended towards her. "Sorry. Are you okay?" His voice is smooth and gentle, giving his smile a sweeter tint.

Marinette blinks up at the familiar face before taking his hand and allowing him to pull her to a standing position. "Yes. I'm sorry... have we met?" His shocking green eyes seem rather familiar, but she can't seem to place a name to the face.

"Ah, yeah," the boy with the golden hair startles at the sound of her voice after a moment, yanking his hand away from hers quickly. "No, I don't think so. Though... you sort of attacked Chloé earlier."

Internally face-palming as the face draws up the familiar memory, she nods, pursing her lips. "Yep. That's me, ahehehe... I'm Marinette." She scratches the back of her neck as she extends her hand in greeting.

The boy's eyes light up as he takes her hand and shakes it with a smile. "That's right!  _You're_  Marinette! You're my partner. I knew I'd heard that name somewhere."

"Adrien?" Marinette guesses with a smile.

"The one and only," he responds with a grin.

The two abruptly look down at their still-connected hands and pull apart.

"Right," Marinette starts awkwardly, mustering up another smile, "well, I hope you're as competitive as I am, because I plan to win this thing."

A grin splits Adrien's lips as he holds up his fist in the 'fist-bump' notion. "Glad we're on the same page." Their fists connect, and Marinette's heart flutters ever so slightly.

Before her thoughts run off without her, the megaphone clicks on, and the campers turn to see Mr. Fu.

_"Anyone without their partners? No? Wonderful. Now, for The Games."_

Marinette clutches her hands together and bites her lip in excited anticipation. Adrien shoots her a look, and she sobers with pooched lips and a light blush.

 _"The Games happen two times every other week for a full week. From Monday to Saturday, you will spend every other day with your unmasked partner. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday will be spent with this unmasked partner. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday will be spent with your masked partner. There will be a number of puzzles you and your unmasked partner, and you and your masked partner will need to work out. Two games running at once, if you will. Today, you will start on the Unmasked Challenge. Tomorrow will be the start of the Masked Challenge. As for the weeks you will have off, my Co-Director and assistant, going by 'Hawk Moth,' will have regular camp activities set up for you every day. Schedules will be left at every cabin for you all to keep. For all Lake Days, masks are not required. Otherwise, please keep your masks on at all times. Sundays will be spent doing whatever you want_ — _masks required."_

Marinette's head spins with all of the new information. Jeez, they're sure working to keep everyone busy. She sighs. Puzzles, huh? Her specialty. She grins, throwing a sidelong glance at Adrien, who looks like he's having Christmas early. Marinette quirks an eyebrow. _What's gotten into him?_

_"At the end of each Challenge week, work out a place for you and your unmasked partner to meet up and come to my office. Together, you will hand in the last puzzle you got stuck on. Same for you and your masked partner. If you complete one or both challenges before the end of the week, please see me as soon as possible to claim your prizes. Only the first place finishers get these prizes. I'm pretty sure that's everything... Oh yes."_

Mr. Fu's eyes glimmer mysteriously.

_"And have fun. The first puzzle can be collected from the booth at the end of the beach. Curfew is midnight. Ready. Set. Go!"_

"I got this!" Marinette shouts to Adrien over the chaos of campers. Before he can object, she takes off in a dead sprint, intent on being the first one to reach the booth with the first puzzle.

She whizzes past campers, weaving through the crowd with ease until she's flying far ahead of them. Marinette hurtles down the beach, sand flying up behind her as she whoops and nears the booth. She nearly barrels it over in her rush.

A piece of paper sticks out from a small slot, and Marinette grabs it and pulls gently. The paper tears easily, and another one just like it slips out, ready to be taken. Marinette jumps out of the way as campers swarm the booth. Her eyes wave over the beach until she spots Adrien by the shoreline not far from her.

Marinette grins and jogs down to Adrien, whose mouth hangs open in shock. She holds the slip of paper up. "Let's get reading!"

Adrien nods, snapping his mouth shut as Marinette huddles next to him, the slip of paper in hand.

 

**_1\. Got milk?_ **

 

Marinette nearly snorts.

"'Got milk?'" Adrien queries, raising an eyebrow at the first puzzle. He glances at Marinette, who shrugs.

"Your guess is as good as mine," she admits, flipping the paper upside down to see if there is an encrypted message. "Maybe the mess hall?"

Adrien shakes his head. "Too obvious."

Marinette nods in agreement. "You're right." She looks around to see if any of the other campers are running off. To her displeasure, no one is showing any sign of understanding the clue either. "Let's just walk around for now, see if anything inspires an idea out of us."

And so, the two wander around aimlessly for the next hour or so.

"Pink or purple?"

"Pink, of course!"

"My bad, Princess."

"Don't you mock me, Agreste."

Adrien laughs, pointing at her shirt where 'Princess' is scrawled across it in neat cursive. "You make it so easy."

Marinette sticks her tongue out at him. "Pizza or hotdogs?"

The golden boy wrinkles his nose. "Or." Marinette gapes at him. "Not allowed junk food."

"Wha—why?!"

"Eating regime," Adrien replies robotically, looking none-too pleased about the subject.

Marinette gives him a meaningful once-over. "But you're a twig!"  _With a really nice body!_

Adrien snorts and gives Marinette a sidelong glace. "I'm a model, Marinette."

The blue-haired beauty's mouth falls open with a  _pop_. "Oh," she manages, blushing crimson. Well that explains a _lot._ Her gaze dances away from his as they walk around the outskirts of the camp. Trees web the area, their dazzling green varying in all sorts of shades. The mess hall falls into view, a mural of some sort painted on the back with a cow... "Adrien!" she exclaims suddenly, pointing at the mural. "Got milk!"

Adrien looks at her like she's grown a second head before he follows her finger. His eyes light up in understanding and he jogs over to the mural.

Though the mural is painted on the back of the mess hall, it is almost completely obscured by the trees surrounding the sides. Genius! Who would ever think to look there?

A mop of golden locks poke out from behind a large oak, and a piece of paper is waved victoriously in the air. Marinette waves Adrien over, and he complies, a crooked smile stretching his face.

"Nice one, Marinette!" He holds up his hand high for a high-five, grinning when Marinette cranes her neck to stare up at him.

Marinette jumps up and high-fives him easily, her vertical causing Adrien's mouth to fall open. She smirks. "Thank you."

Adrien gets over his shock, and the two huddle closely to look down at the next puzzle.

 

 **_2\. Cold, I am._ **  
**_Warm, I may be._ **  
**_Just look under the wooden tip of me._ **

****

The two exchange raised eyebrows.

"Okay," Marinette starts, "what—"

"—the—"

"—hell?"

 

***   *   ***

 

"Cold, I am. Warm, I may be. Just look under the wooden tip of me."

Adrien groans. "It doesn't make anymore sense than it did the first hundred times you said it."

Marinette huffs, folding the piece of paper up and putting it into her back pocket. "Sorry. But what is cold that could be warm with a wooden tip?"

"A hammer?" Adrien suggests, glancing down at his watch. "It's 1:43. Maybe we should get something to eat."

"Not hungry," Marinette lies, biting her lip and cringing when her stomach rumbles rather loudly. "Lunch can wait," she reasons when Adrien throws her a perplexed look.

"No," he parents, grabbing her shoulders and turning her in the direction of the mess hall, "this challenge can wait."

"Adrien," Marinette whines, attempting to steer herself in another direction, "we're so close, I can feel it. Let's walk along the beach for inspiration." She manages to spin herself around and directs her puppy-dog eyes on Adrien.

He flinches and, after a moment of hesitation, ultimately sighs in resignation. "Fine. Just one lap around the beach for inspiration." Marinette beams and grabs his hand, pulling him through the thicket of trees and out onto the beach.

The sun blazes overhead, leaving the sand hot to the touch. Marinette ditches her partner in favor of putting her feet in the water. She takes her flip-flops off and holds them as she walks alongside the warm afternoon water.

"This is nice," she calls up to Adrien, a teasing tone in her voice.

Adrien chuckles from his place about fifty feet away from her. "What can I say? I love spending time with you."

Marinette smiles to herself. She glances up just in time to narrowly avoid running into a large, wooden beam. "Hyiek!" she shrieks, dodging the beam by a hair and nearly falling on her butt. Adrien's laughter brings a pout to her face as she glares at him. Her attention snaps back to the large wooden beam to inspect it. After a moment or so, she backs up, her eyes widening in realization.

"Cold, I am. Warm, I may be. Just... look under the wooden tip of me! Adrien!" Marinette cries excitedly for the second time that day, motioning at the dock. "The dock! The puzzle's talking about the lake, and the dock is the wooden tip!" Marinette ducks under the boards, searching frantically for a paper dispenser with her eyes. "Yahtzee!" She spots it and nabs the slip of paper, holding it up for Adrien to see.

He grins. "Suddenly, long walks on the beach sound like a lot more fun." Marinette rolls her eyes and crawls out from under the dock, the puzzle held tightly in her fingers.

"All right, Fu," she mutters, "what do you have for us this time...?"

 

 **_3\. Like to sing?_ **  
**_We've got the place for you._ **  
**_Cold evenings are warmer and lit up, too._ **

 

Marinette frowns. "Cold evenings are warmer and lit up, too?" She looks over at Adrien and catches wind of the cogs whirring in his head.

Suddenly, he snaps his fingers and points at Marinette. "Campfire."

"You sure?" Marinette queries skeptically, reading over the puzzle again before glancing up at Adrien.

"Pretty sure," he confirms with a nod, green eyes blazing with adventure. "But lunch first." Marinette opens her mouth to object, but Adrien presses a finger to her lips. " _Lunch_ ," he emphasizes, sending her a pointed look.

Marinette would have stuck her tongue out at him if she wasn't currently blushing crimson. Adrien draws away from her rather quickly, seemingly realizing the absurdity of his actions.

Luckily, someone comes to the rescue.

"Yo, Mari!" The pair turn towards the source of the voice. "Find anything?"

"Alya!" Marinette shouts with a grin, waving her over. "Yeah!"

The ombré grabs the arm of her partner and drags him towards Marinette and Adrien. "Wanna team up?"

"Isn't that against the rules?" Adrien mutters to Marinette, nearly having to bend over completely to reach her ear due to her short height.

Marinette frowns. "I... don't think so..." She eyes him warily. "But maybe it's safer to stay separate." Just as she's finishing her sentence, Alya and her disheveled-looking partner stop in front of them.

"Oh," the boy suddenly says, eyes widening, "so  _this_  is Mari." He smiles sheepishly at Marinette's perplexed look. "I'm Nino," he introduces, holding out a hand for Marinette to shake.

"Hi." Marinette shakes Nino's hand hesitantly. "Have we met somewhere before?"

Nino shrugs. "If we have, it's lost on me, dudette."

Adrien and Nino do that weird guy thing where they hold hands and clap each other on the back in a half-hug. Alya and Marinette exchange amused gazes.

 _'He's cute,'_ Alya mouths to Marinette, a knowing spark glistening in her eyes as she gives Adrien a once-over.

Marinette flushes a lovely red as she shakes her head rapidly from side to side. _'NO!'_ she mouths back, turning away from the group as Adrien and Nino whip around from whatever guy huddle they were just having.

"Marinette and I were actually just going to get lunch," Adrien states, shooting yet another pointed look at Marinette, as if daring her to go against his reasonable suggestion yet again.

She glares playfully at him, biting the inside of her cheek. They hold gazes for a bit longer before Marinette sighs and looks away. "Yeah," she murmurs quietly, kicking up some sand, "we were." Out of the corner of her eye, she watches Adrien fist-pump in victory. She rolls her eyes amusedly. "C'mon, dork. The mess hall awaits." She sends a wave at Alya and Nino before trudging down the beach, a small smile stretching her lips.

Though, much to her dismay, her heart undeniably skips a beat.

 

***   *   ***

 

The two choose a secluded lunch table and spend a good portion their lunch break eating and talking animatedly. As lunch flies by, Marinette finds herself falling deeper and deeper into the hole labeled _'Adrien Agreste.'_

When she'd first heard the last name Agreste, her favorite designer in all of Paris, Gabriel Agreste, had popped up into her head. Of course, she had quickly discarded the similarity, insisting to herself that it was a mere coincidence. She soon realized (after having met Adrien, that is) that she'd also seen Adrien somewhere.

Somewhere being every other billboard and magazine cover. Marinette stills finds herself internally kicking herself for not having connected the dots sooner. Her suspicions over Adrien being Gabriel Agreste's son were confirmed the moment he had told her, straight up, that he was a model. The shock was almost too much.

Why on earth is a celebrity's kid at some camp in the middle of the woods?

 _'Not some camp,'_ Marinette corrects herself. _'Camp Miraculous. The high-class camp you've been wanting to go to for ages.'_

The pair finish up lunch, and Marinette leans over to see Adrien's watch.

"Three-thirty?!" she yelps, standing up abruptly and nearly toppling over the leg of her chair. "We have to go!"

Adrien gets to his feet as well, if a bit reluctant. "Mari,"—stupid heart flutter—"we have until twelve, you know."

Marinette blushes slightly. "Well, I came to win. Besides," she raises her eyebrows, her eyes sparkling almost mischievously, "there are prizes for the winners." The lilt in her voice has Adrien swallowing for reasons he, himself, can't comprehend.

"R-right," he stammers, finding himself drowning in her cerulean-blue eyes, her  _familiar_  eyes... "We should go."

"To the campfire?"

Adrien almost misses what she says in favor of simply taking her in, all of her.

The baker's daughter with a dream in a business that he wishes to escape. The bright-eyed girl with a heart of gold and a knack for adventure. The 'princess' with the skin of porcelain and one of the prettiest smiles he's ever seen (with no help from her stunning looks). The lady... wait... lady...

"Adrien?"

"Huh?" Adrien startles, blinking a couple times before nodding fervently. "Oh, y-yeah. The campfire."

Concern laces itself through Marinette's confused expression. "Are you okay?" she asks, coming around the table and putting the back of her hand on his forehead. "You look feverish..."

Adrien jumps away, cheeks lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Fine! I-I'm fine!"

 _'Dumb ass,'_  Adrien internally reprimands himself.  _'At least know her for longer than a day before deciding anything... Besides! What about Ladybug?'_

What  _ABOUT_ Ladybug?

She invades Adrien's mind so suddenly, it takes him a moment to process it. Her laugh, her smile, her shocking cerulean eyes, the freckles dusting her nose, her courage, her empathy, her everything...

Something in the back of Adrien's mind tingles as he walks alongside Marinette.

Something familiar.

 

***   *   ***

 

Adrien and Marinette come to stop in front of the campfire pit. The two look around.

"See anything?"

"I want to say yes but... no."

Marinette frowns down at the third puzzle. "This can't be wrong... What else makes you want to sing and can make a cold night warm?"

"Check the log benches?" Adrien suggests.

The bluenette complies, and together, the two get on their knees and check each log.

"Bingo," Adrien chimes, a smirk dancing across his lips. He pulls the slip of paper loose from the dispenser.

"'Bingo?'" Marinette queries with an amused smile.

"Aren't we doing game sayings?" Adrien gets to his feet, and the partners high-five.

"Good job," Marinette compliments, stealing the piece of parchment out from between Adrien's fingers with a grin. He grunts in response, leaning over Marinette's shoulder to read the next puzzle.

 

 **_4\. Find a penny,_ **  
**_Pick it up,_ **  
**_Then all day long you'll have good luck!_ **

 

"Good luck, huh?" Adrien chuckles. "Reminds me of my masked partner."

Marinette smiles, thinking of her own identity. "Yeah. Any bright ideas?"

Adrien shakes his head. "No dice." He grins when Marinette sends him a deadpanned look.

"Is that a board-game related pun?"

"Maybe."

"You are ridiculous."

"Thanks, Princess." Adrien bows extravagantly, winking all the while doing so.

Marinette blushes, looking away rather than snorting like she'd wanted to. "Let's think on this one."

The team wanders through the campsite; chatting idly, exchanging stories, playing games.

"I spy with my little eye... something blue."

Adrien peers around the area, lips pooched. "Water?"

"But what water?"

"Hmm..." Adrien's eyes fall upon a fountain in the close distance, nearly obscured by trees. "The fountain water?"

"Ding, ding, ding!" Marinette says with a laugh, skipping ahead to touch the shining fountain water.

Adrien chuckles at her antics before a thought occurs to him. He comes to stand next to Marinette, who's staring down at the water in the large bottom bowl. Pennies, nickels, dimes, even quarters litter the bottom of the fountain bowl. They shimmer beautifully under the blazing late afternoon sun, and Adrien reaches down, intending to grab a penny, only to be stopped by a small hand.

"Don't," Marinette says softly, almost a whisper. "Those are wishes."

Confusion colors the forefront of Adrien's mind, and he cocks his head at her questioningly. "Wishes?"

Marinette hums, eyes glistening. "People just like us have made wishes and thrown their change into the fountain. It's supposed to be good luck." Adrien watches her, his mouth nearly falling open in wonder at the gentle touch in her voice. "That being said," she turns to look at him, "this has to be the answer to puzzle number four. I don't see what else it could be."

Adrien manages a small nod before they split off, circling the fountain. On the far east side, Adrien encounters the dispenser at the very bottom of the fountain, almost unnoticed. "Over here," he calls to Marinette, crouching down to a squat to pluck the desired piece of paper from said dispenser. A shadow falls over Adrien's back, and he looks up with a grin. "Hey, you're taller than me."

Marinette sends him a look so flat, Adrien could land a plane on it. "You're hilarious."

"I know," Adrien chuckles, slowly standing to his full, towering height, causing Marinette to pucker her lips in a pout.

"Way to rub it in," she huffs, snatching the fifth puzzle away from him.

Adrien leans over her for the fifth time that day to read the next puzzle.

 

 **_5\. Over a river_ **  
**_Not by the sea_ **  
**_Shrouded in trees_ **  
**_But sitting, you see?_ **

 

"It looks he ran out of rhymes," Adrien points out unhelpfully. He cracks a smile when Marinette scrunches her eyebrows together.

"So... it's somewhere in the trees...," she trails off thoughtfully, the thought sounding incomplete.

"A cloud...?" Marinette makes a face at his response, and Adrien snorts.

"Can't be. Clouds are over the sea, too," she says, tapping her chin in thought. "What's over a river that sits?"

Adrien lets his thoughts wander as they continue walking along camp grounds, bumping shoulders playfully every now and then.

"It'd help if we had a camp map," Adrien points out.

Marinette frowns as they round a corner. "Isn't that sort of chea—waaah!" Marinette shrieks, falling backwards as she runs straight into a tall boy with jet-black hair. The boy catches her wrist before she can hit the floor, and Adrien feels a pang of irritation. He watches Marinette stare at the boy before blinking a couple of times, and Adrien bites the side of his tongue to keep himself from saying anything.

"Falling for me already?" the tan, dark-haired boy asks, a grin splitting his lips as his bright green eyes glint mischievously.

There's a small scoff, and Adrien turns towards the noise and looks down, down, down... at a red-head with indigo eyes, and a scowl curving her brows.

"You're hilarious, Plagg. Now let the poor girl go," she says, cocking a hip and rolling her eyes.

The boy—Plagg—laughs and lifts Marinette back to her feet. "Ah, she loved it, didn't you... What's your name?"

Marinette smooths the wrinkles in her shirt and raises an eyebrow. "Marinette, and honestly? Not a fan of the whole 'damsel in distress' ordeal," she sasses, taking a step away from Plagg.

Adrien takes a protective step towards her, scowling at Plagg. Plagg looks between the two of them thrice before an evil grin stretches his lips. "Ahh, I get it. Didn't mean to step on your turf, pretty boy," Plagg says, raising both hands defensively and taking a step back—nearly running the petite redhead over.

Adrien's jaw drops as most of the blood in his body rushes to his face. He turns to look down at Marinette to see if she's fairing any better.

She most certainly is  _not_.

"Plagg!" the miniature girl shouts, glaring at him as he begins chuckling. "You don't just  _say_  that!"

"Chill, Tikki. I'm just rushing the obviously slow process," he reasons, gesturing to Adrien and Marinette.

Adrien manages to find his voice after floundering for a moment and says, "W-we aren't t-together."

_Smooth, Agreste._

Plagg snorts. " _Yet,_ " he adds to the end of Adrien's stammered sentence. "Can't forget the 'yet.'"

Something like a dying whale noise comes from Marinette, and Adrien almost smiles. Almost.

"Plagg," Tikki hisses, swatting his arm. Really, the scene is quite comical. Tikki, the seemingly 4'10" girl, scolding Plagg, the 6 foot something boy only slightly shorter than Adrien. Tikki looks between Adrien and Marinette apologetically. "I'm really sorry about him," she says sympathetically, completely ignoring the flat look Plagg is sending her. "We'll just be on our way now." And with that, she reaches up and grabs Plagg's shoulders, steering him onwards and away from a stunned Adrien and an utterly embarrassed Marinette.

The team sits there for a moment, digesting what just happened.

Adrien blinks and clears his throat before checking his watch.

**6:57 PM**

"We'd better get a move on before the sun sets." Adrien glances from his watch to Marinette, who stares at the pinking sky. Her eyes sparkle when they make eye-contact. "Want to just walk around? We can use our phone flashlights if we have to."

Adrien hesitates. Of course he wants to spend time with Marinette; she's amazing. But with the way his heart is beating unsteadily as he's looking at her...

"You go ahead. I want to stop by my cabin to grab something."

Marinette frowns adorably. "But how will we know where to meet up to continue?"

Ah. Adrien hasn't considered that factor yet. An idea occurs to him, and he tosses it back and forth in his head before ultimately deciding. He pulls out his cellphone and checks for bars.

1 bar. Just enough to call someone.

"Here," he says, holding his phone out for Marinette to take. "Make yourself a contact."

She looks between him and his cellphone, a light blush staining her cheeks. "Okay," she agrees softly, reaching out to take his phone. Their fingers brush, and a chill runs down Adrien's spine.

_No! Bad Adrien!_

Though his internal scolding doesn't slow the beating of his heart.

Silence hangs in the air as Marinette types in her number on a new contact. After a moment more, she hands Adrien's phone back to him. "There. Call me when you've got what you need."

Adrien nods. "Okay. Want to grab dinner after we find the next clue?" He blushes furiously at the way his words must sound.

_Asking her out already?_

For some reason, that Plagg guy's teasing voice echoes around in his head.

' _Shut up,'_  Adrien snaps internally.

"Sure," Marinette responds after a drawn-out moment.

They stand there for an awkward beat, neither really knowing what to say next.

"Right," Adrien drawls, glancing around and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Well, I guess I'll see you."

"Yeah," Marinette laughs, the notion sounding nervous. "See you."

They stand there for another long moment before they both abruptly turn around and walk in opposite directions. Adrien looks back at Marinette's retreating figure for a second before facing forward again and shaking his head.

_It's only been a day. I really need to get a grip._

And a grip, he does not get.

 

***   *   ***

 

The rest of the night flies by uneventfully. Adrien hadn't actually needed anything from his cabin, he had just wanted space to breathe without feeling the weight of those pretty bluebell eyes on him.

After he had called and met up with Marinette, they had wandered around aimlessly for a little over an hour, then had gone to dinner without so much as a clue as to where they should go next.

The mess hall is next to empty, save for a couple making out in the corner. Wonderful.

"Here?" he asks Marinette, gesturing to the two person table next to the large glass window of the mess hall.

"Sure," she agrees with a smile, setting down the tiny pink satchel she constantly has swung over her shoulder and bouncing off her left hip.

Not that he pays attention to that particular area or anything.

Adrien rids himself of such thoughts as they begin to drift slightly south and starts making his way over to the counters of food. Marinette joins him quietly, her tiny figure seeming even tinier as she stands next to Adrien. He smiles.

_She's so petite._

Marinette looks up at him, a question glittering in her eyes. "What?"

 _PFFT._ "Nothing."

She narrows her eyes suspiciously, pooching her lips. "Adrien," she drawls in a chiding tone, "what is it?"

Adrien works hard to contain the laughter wanting to break free, barely able to hold it in. "Nothing, nothing," he says in a voice slightly higher than usual, attempting to be casual.

Marinette steps in front of him and quirks an eyebrow. "Then why are you smiling like that?"

"Like what?" Adrien bites his lip to keep himself from laughing.

"Like that!" Marinette exclaims, gesturing wildly at his face.

Adrien finally loses all remaining composure and bursts out laughing. He keels over, desperately trying to breathe between each laugh as Marinette's expression grows flatter by the second.

"You're—you're just so tiny!"

Marinette's cheeks color and she turns around. "That's fun-sized to you, you pesky giant," she throws over her shoulder, trying to hide the hurt in her voice.

Adrien sobers and immediately begins to feel bad. "Hey, wait," he tries, reaching out and touching her shoulder gently.

She shakes him off. "It's fine. Not everyone likes short girls."

_I do._

Adrien's heart sinks as Marinette begins to walk away at a rather brisk pace. "Mari, wait! I didn't mean to—"

"Well you did!" Marinette shouts, turning around for a second to glare at him as heated tears blur her glittering eyes. She ignores the stares of the few people in the mess hall and hurries out, intent on reaching the cabin and just laying in her bed as she sulks.

Adrien nearly runs after her, but then thinks better of it. Knowing her secret identity could be another easy way to piss her off, and honestly, that's the last thing he wants to do.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs quietly, chest aching the way it always does when he's just been left by someone seemingly significant in his life.

 

***   *   ***

 

The door to Cabin #1 flies open with a  **BANG** , and Marinette storms in with a huff. She'll never admit it out loud, but she's fully aware of how immature she's being, but the whole 'short' thing...

She shakes her head. _'No,'_ she scolds herself as her eyes begin to water again with hot tears, _'I am not going to cry again.'_

Being half Asian has left her with an unfair disadvantage when it comes to height. As a middle-schooler, she had been fixated with volleyball and basketball; two sports she could not do because of her short height.

Oh, and need she mention how many times she's been reminded of her short height?

Too many.

Too freaking many.

Marinette slams the door behind her and flicks the light switch on.

"Shit."

She whirls around to see Carapace poised mid-air with a shirt half on.

"Double shit," she swears silently, face-palming and smiling nervously. "Oops!" she says loudly, praying that her one week of acting lessons she took when she was 8 will pay off. "Wrong cabin! Hahahaha... sorry..."

The deadpanned look on Carapace's face tells Marinette that her parents wasted their money trying to turn her into a Disney Channel star.

"No?" she tries, shrinking further under the weight of Carapace's raised eyebrow.

"No," he confirms, pulling his shirt all the way over his torso and smoothing it out. "But nice try."

Marinette relinquishes a sigh and pushes Adrien's lingering words out of her mind. "Can we just... not mention this to anyone? Please?"

Carapace eyes her for a moment before his expression softens. He nods. "'Course. Just get your mask on now and try not to forget that you have roommates."

The bluenette smiles softly and nods her head in thanks. She hurries over to her duffel bag and rummages around for a moment before pulling out her scarlet spotted mask. Right as she pulls it on, the door slams open once more, and a voice shouts, "Cover your eyes!"

Ladybug complies to Chat Noir's request and shields her eyes, easily able to recognize his drawl... his troubled drawl.

"You okay?" she queries, worrying her lip as the sound of things getting thrown around comes from their bunkbed area.

"No," Chat snaps, growling in frustration from somewhere to the left of Ladybug.

"What's up?" Carapace queries from Ladybug's right, concern lacing its way through his voice.

A sigh brushes across Ladybug's cheeks as calloused fingers wrap around her wrists and gently pull her hands from her eyes. Chat's emerald eyes don't hold the glimmer Ladybug's become accustomed to, and she scowls softly.

"Hey," she says quietly, reaching up and resting a hand on his shoulder when he grimaces and looks away. "What's wrong?"

Chat's gaze flicks to Carapace, who's watching the exchange curiously. Carapace suddenly throws his hands up defensively and backs up towards the door. "I'm goin', I'm goin'," he chimes, opening the door and stepping out before closing it, leaving Ladybug and Chat Noir alone in the room.

Silence hangs in the air between them before Chat breaks it by motioning to the bottom bunk of their bunkbed. Ladybug nods and follows him over to his bed. She ducks her head to avoid banging it on the wood and falls back against the mattress, leaning her back against the hardwood wall that the bunk straddles.

Chat follows suit, and they sit in the quiet atmosphere for a moment longer before Ladybug's curiosity gets the better of her.

"So what is it? Did something happen today?"

He chuckles, eyes glimmering with amusement. "Eager, aren't we, little lady?"

Ladybug flinches at the word 'little' and quickly tries to play it off as a sneeze.

"Aww!" Chat laughs. "Your sneeze is so cute."

A scowl curves Ladybug's brow. "Nothing about me is cute," she insists stubbornly, crossing her arms and taking note of how willingly Chat is avoiding talking about the object of his frustration.

Chat pokes his tongue out at her. "You're right. You're gorgeous."

Ladybug ignores the pinking of her cheeks and instead rolls her eyes. "You're very good at avoiding the subject."

This sobers Chat up immediately, and he looks away from her, the corners of his lips turning down.

"It's...," he trails off, considering his words carefully before trying again. "I'm having a bit of... girl trouble..."

Ladybug's tempted to burst out laughing. She bumps her shoulder against his arm and smirks. "Girl trouble? I didn't know such a thing existed for such a catch like you," she teases, sarcasm bursting through the seams of her words.

"Of course not," Chat drawls, not missing a beat as he winks at her. "The only girl I have my eye on is you, and you're practically smitten for me already."

"How'd you know?" Ladybug feigns a gasp, covering her mouth to hide her smile. "But seriously," she adds before Chat can reply, "talk to me, partner."

Chat's shoulders tense up, and he takes a deep breath before relaxing them again. "It's my partner...," he starts, stealing a glance at Ladybug. "We were getting along so well today; laughing, joking, smiling, figuring the puzzles out... but then I said something that really offended her. She left in a hurry, and I think I really hurt her."

Something within Ladybug twinges familiarly, but she brushes it aside. "I can sort of relate to her. My partner was joking around, and he said something that really hurt my feelings. I don't think he knew it, but he had hit a nerve. So, I can see where your partner is coming from," Ladybug consoles him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Want some advice?"

"Badly," Chat Noir admits, a hint of desperation bleeding into his expression.

Ladybug hums, considering for a moment. "Well, if it were me, I'd want him to give me a little space first. Then, I think I'd want to be the first one to say something. After the chilliness has thawed a bit, I'd want him to apologize. And finally, I'd want to fall back into a comfortable pattern," she finishes, smiling at Chat. "Helpful?"

"Very," he says, nodding fervently. "Thank you, my Lady."

She rolls her eyes. "As payment, you can cut the horrid nicknames."

Chat laughs. "What do you mean? My nicknames are top-notch!" He sobers, relishing the way Ladybug giggles quietly. "But seriously," Chat adds, "I hope your partner figures out a way to make it up to you."

"Yeah," Ladybug sighs, "me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter may not be out for a while thanks to school.
> 
> Xoxo, J.


	4. A Psychopath at His Finest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which shit goes down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, loves! Jade here once again with the fourth part of Camp Miraculous! Things are just starting to get interesting...
> 
> Sorry for the long wait! Had a lengthy to-do list before I could even think about starting this.
> 
> Enjoy. ;)

If there's one thing that Marinette hates, it's waking up via nightmare.

Her eyes fly open, heart racing and tears blurring her hazy morning vision. She pushes herself up into a sitting position and blinks rapidly. A form in the next bunk over blinks at her, and for a moment, she panics.

Marinette sighs in relief when she squints and recognizes the eyes to be that of Carapace's. One of his eyebrows raise in question, but Marinette simply shakes her head.

She doesn't want to lay _all_ of her secrets onto him.

Carapace then closes his eyes again and rolls over, probably to fall back asleep. Marinette exhales and reaches for her phone to check the time.

**3:09 AM**

She groans quietly and sets her phone back onto the small ledge protruding from the wall next to the head of her top bunk.

Chat Noir shuffles beneath her, and she forces herself to stand still. After another minute or so, he rolls over again, and Marinette lets her curiosity get the best of her.

She reaches for the mask sitting on the small ledge-made-beside-table and slides it on before peering over the side of her bunk to see Chat Noir below her.

He's sitting up, clearly awake but very hard to see in the pitch of black of night. The only thing Ladybug can clearly make out are his vivid green eyes widening at the sight of her silhouette.

"You're awake, too?" he queries, scrambling for the mask resting on a tiny side-table sitting next to his mattress.

Ladybug nods, then realizes he can't see her very well. "Yeah," she sighs, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

Chat snaps the mask into place and pats the space next to him, scooting over. "Care to join me?"

"Hmm," Ladybug hums, vision blurring slightly as the blood rushing to her head starts to take affect, "alright."

She sits straight up, heat rushing to her head before gradually receding back into the rest of her body. Ladybug blinks once more before quietly crawling toward the ladder. She cringes when it creaks and hurriedly hops into the open space next to Chat Noir.

He chuckles quietly and leans back against the pillow. "So, what's keeping you from your beauty sleep, M'Lady? Not that you really need it."

Ladybug decides to just roll with the nickname and shrugs, ignoring his last flirtatious comment and looking down at her lap. "I don't know how to explain it. Just a nightmare, I guess."

"About?" Chat prods, his bright eyes burning holes into the side of Ladybug's head.

Ladybug shifts uncomfortably. "I'm not really comfortable with sharing."

"Aww," Chat drawls, bumping her shoulder with a grin, "you don't trust me?"

"It's not that," Ladybug laughs quietly, bumping him back, "I just don't think you'd be able to understand."

"Try me," Chat states, a challenge residing in his tone.

He grins cheekily when Ladybug sends him a flat look, and she cracks a smile.

"Maybe another time, Kitty."

"Ah, boo," Chat says disapprovingly, his lower lip jutting out in a small pout.

"Well, what about you, huh?" Ladybug nudges him. "What's got you up?"

"I'm always up during the 'Witching Hour,'" Chat says mysteriously, framing his eyes with his fingers and wiggling them.

Ladybug snorts softly, covering her mouth with her hand when Rena rolls over in bed.

Chat laughs quietly and elbows her in the ribs. "Shh! You're gonna wake them up!"

"Am not!" Ladybug hisses. "I'm not the one being a major dork and making you laugh!"

"Shhh, you're being too loud."

"Oh, shut up, Chat."

They spend the rest of the early morning goofing off and talking about everything and absolutely nothing.

By the time the clock hits **6:00 AM** , Ladybug finds her eyelashes fluttering shut. Chat's saying something about where he's from, and Ladybug vaguely recognizes the address but can't quite find it in herself to respond as sleep creeps up and consumes her.

***   *   ***

One thing Adrien had never anticipated when signing up for an elite camp was waking up in bed with a girl curled against his chest, sound asleep.

He jumps violently, and she jolts awake, backing away from him until she tumbles off of the bed. A fully-clothed Ladybug glares up at him, propping herself up on an elbow and rubbing her head.

"What was that for?" she grumbles, her voice heavy with sleep.

"S-sorry," Chat stammers, mask slightly askew in his line of vision. He readjusts it, and memories from the early morning come rushing back to him.

 _'Ohhh,'_ he drawls internally. _'She must have fallen asleep when we were talking. That makes much more sense than what I was thinking.'_

"You two finally awake?"

Chat looks around the bedpost to see Rena standing across the room, an amused look playing at her features.

"What time is it?" Ladybug asks, stumbling to her feet. Her overly-large college sweatshirt nearly covers her short-shorts , and the sleeves pool around her hands. She tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear and suddenly flushes.

"It'sh only eight-shirty. You guysh have time to grab breakfasht in the mesh hall before everyone'sh meething on the beach for instructionsh on our in-mashk challenge," Carapace pipes up from bathroom, a toothbrush poking out of the side of his mouth.

Ladybug nods, tying her hair into two messy twin-tails. Chat watches her make her way over to her duffel bag. She looks from her bag to the empty dresser next to Chat's and face-palms.

"I can help you unpack," Chat suggests cheekily, a shit-eating grin curving his lips.

Ladybug turns on him with a 'look,' and he chuckles, holding up his hands in an 'I surrender' notion. "Kidding, kidding."

She rolls her eyes good-naturedly and hauls her duffel over her shoulder to carry over to her dresser.

Carapace steps out of the bathroom and nods at Rena.

"We'll grab a table in the caf," Rena states, waving her hand before her and Carapace leave, closing the door behind themselves.

"Dibs on the shower," Chat suddenly says, pushing himself off of his bed and making a grab for his dresser drawers.

"You suck," Ladybug pouts, poking her tongue out at him.

"You could always join me," Chat offers, winking at her.

Ladybug snorts and shakes her head, the smile still intact. "I'll pass, thanks."

He chuckles, heart fluttering lightly in his chest. Ah, Ladybug. He really, really likes her.

With a two-fingered salute, Chat ducks into the bathroom and locks the door behind himself, reminiscing the morning he had spent getting to know his amazing partner.

***   *   ***

"Ew. Grapefruit."

Chat watches, amusement plastered across his expression, as Ladybug picks around the bowl of mixed fruit, stubbornly avoiding the small chunks of grapefruit.

"Not a fan?" Chat guesses, scooping some scrambled eggs onto his plate with a grin aimed down at the beautiful girl.

Her nose wrinkles in clear disgust. "You could say that."

Chat finds himself chuckling as they pull away from the breakfast bar. The room is packed with nearly every camp member, tables having been pushed together to seat the rather large cliques. Chat spots the back of Carapace's head and the two open seats next to him in the middle of a really long table.

"They must have gotten here early to save spots for us in the center of the table," Ladybug states, already making her way towards them.

Chat follows suit, and they soon find themselves seated in the middle of the long table.

After about 45 minutes of sitting through people gushing over his partner (he already _knows_ that she's the best thing since pie), the group gets up as one, taking their plates to "The Merry Go-Round," a dish drop off.

The horde of masked people make their way towards the beach, where a large stage is set up.

"Please don't tell me we're doing karaoke," Ladybug murmurs into Chat's shoulder, sighing in clear frustration.

Chat, pleased above all else that she's confiding in him (albeit, about disliking karaoke), chuckles warmly and tosses an arm around her shoulder. "Why? Afraid I'll serenade my way into your heart?"

"Terrified," Ladybug snarks, knocking her hip into his leg and effectively escaping his hold.

Delighted, Chat shakes with silent laughter, his heart jumping into his throat at the contact. "Touché."

He follows her like a lovesick puppy to the gathering crowd, excited for the day to come.

The 100 masked campers shuffle and chatter loudly, and Chat digs his toes into the sand through his leather sandals, reveling in the way its soft warmth feels.

Moments of standing and jabbering back and forth turn into minutes, and Chat begins to grow impatient. What on earth could be taking them so long?

Clouds begin to move in overhead, shielding the sun and its warm glow. The pleasant temperature turns humid, and Chat ruffles his hair in irritation.

_"Welcome, campers."_

Startled, the lot of teenagers all shut up simultaneously, attention turning towards the stage where a masked man clad in a dark suit stands, scepter in hand.

_"I am Hawk Moth."_

"Why are you dressed like a weeb?" some kid in a dog mask shouts, snickering loudly.

The few who dare chuckle are silenced by a look so icy, it sends shivers down Chat's spine.

_"Very funny."_

His drawl suggests otherwise. As does his dark expression.

_"Five of you have something I'm looking for. Hand them over. Now."_

Confused murmurs run through the crowd, and Chat turns to Ladybug with an amused smirk. "This guy's a nutcase."

Ladybug's expression is stony, an analytical yet serious glint in her eyes. "I don't think he's kidding."

**_"SILENCE!"_ **

Chat flinches along with everyone else, fear sharpening all of his senses. Alarm bells go off in his subconscious.

"Chat?"

Chat looks at Ladybug to see something sparkle in her eyes.

_She's scared._

"I don't think we're safe."

_"Fine. You really leave me no choice."_

Hawk Moth strikes the floor of the stage with his scepter. Thunder cracks in the sky overhead, and panicked shouts reverberate through the congregation of campers.

A swarm of menacing-looking butterflies shoot out of nowhere, surrounding Hawk Moth with electrical sparks of indigo.

_"Go, my little akumas, and evilize them."_

Maniacal laughter is the last thing Chat Noir hears before he is enveloped by a bright green light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh damn, I'm evil. Yeah. Cliffhanger.
> 
> That's right.
> 
> Y'all thought this was a normal AU? Nah. Too boring.
> 
> 90% sure I'm gonna get some serious backlash for this, but at least this motivates me to write the next chapter a lot faster.


	5. I'm a What?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which le children are confused and clumsy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, loves. See, aren't you glad I left the last chapter on a cliffhanger? Now I feel inclined to write more faster. :D
> 
> This origins re-write was actually a lot of fun.
> 
> Enjoy. ;)

Adrien's eyes fly open. 

Everything is bright. An ear-splitting line of noise, almost like that of a teapot whistling, grows louder by the second. Adrien blinks and covers his ears with a grunt.

Slow-motion is the only way to describe how he's feeling. 

He stumbles, vision blurry and ears numb. 

A small black shape slips into his line of vision. Its mouth opens and closes, and Adrien blinks hard to try and see the bizarre creature a bit clearer.  

_"Kirambira."_

The screeching, teapot-whistling sound increases two-fold, and Adrien's knees buckle under him. Something slips onto the ring finger of Adrien's right hand.

All at once, the white noise stops, and Adrien's vision clears.

Silence echoes in the empty clearing. Adrien stares.

"Don't freak out."

A panicked shout erupts from Adrien's mouth, and he finds himself taking rapid steps backwards.

The cat-like creature rolls his eyes and follows Adrien. "I just said―"

"You can talk!" Adrien screeches loudly, eyes comically wide. "You can―AAAH!" His heel catches on a small rock sticking out of the ground, and Adrien goes tumbling into the dirt. "Ouch."

"Yes, I can talk. Thanks for cutting me off." The black thing rolls its eyes again. " _SO_  rude."

"Sorry?" Adrien apologizes, sounding more unsure than apologetic.

"Can I explain what's going on now?" the little cat asks, sounding insanely impatient.

Adrien opens his mouth to respond, but doesn't get the chance.

"Good. Basically: Hi, I'm Plagg, your magical Kwami. You've been given the ring of the Black Cat, blah blah blah... You're a superhero, and it's up to you and Ladybug to stop Hawk Moth from taking over the world. Capeesh?"

**"...WHAT?!"**

***   *   ***

"I'm a... I'm a  _what?"_

"A superhero, Marinette," Tikki says slowly. "Su-per-he-ro."

"I'm a... superhero..." Marinette's weirded-out expression grows dazed. "Am I dreaming?"

Tikki face-palms. "No! If you don't transform and go out there now, you and Chat Noir are going to be doomed!"

Marinette's eyes widen, and she points behind herself. "Like,  _now_ -now?"

"Marinette!"

"Okay, okay! What's the transformation key again?"

"Spots on."

Marinette sucks in a deep breath.

**"Tikki, spots on?"**

Marinette watches, equal parts petrified and wonder-struck as Tikki gets sucked into her earrings. The bluenette moves awkwardly, following her transformation as it swells around her.

 "What in the...?"

Ladybug stretches her arms and flexes her fingers. The red, skin-tight suit is breathable and surprisingly comfortable. She hesitantly reaches up to touch the mask outlining her eyes. Her fingers slide over the material, and she gives it a tug.

It doesn't budge.

With a start, she looks down at the vibrating yo-yo on her hip. She blinks before managing to unlatch it from around her waist and slide it open. 

Chat Noir's face appears in the screen, an insanely wide grin stretching his face. "This is SO COOL."

Ladybug rolls her eyes, a small smile curling her lips. "Where are you? Where are we supposed to be going?"

Chat glances around before his eyes flick to the camera lens. "I'm... up here somewhere."

Ladybug's expression flattens. "Because that's so helpful, thanks."

"I think I'm near the lake," Chat clarifies, a smile breaching his lips at her comment.

"Okay. I'm coming." And with that, Ladybug flips her yo-yo shut and lets it hang loosely in the air. "Do I just...?" She extends it like a regular yo-yo, letting it roll up and down. "How does this...?" She turns towards the thicket of trees ahead of her, shrugs, and chucks the magical weapon as far as she possibly can.

It makes a whirring sound as it flies farther and farther away from her. "What―?" She gives it an experimental tug.

With a terrified shriek, her feet leave the ground, and she soars through the air―down a friggin'  _mountain._

For a moment, she seemingly floats at least 200 hundred feet above the ground. She's rendered breathless by the stunning sight of the sun glancing off of the water through small holes in the thundering clouds overhead. 

And then she begins to fall.

A scream is torn from her throat as she hurtles towards the ground at a speed much too inhuman. With no idea of how to disconnect her yo-yo from whatever it's tied to, she's left to fear crashing into the ground and breaking  _literally everything._  

The trees get closer and closer, and she squints when she spots a small black figure flying around.

Oh shit.

_Look out!_

Might have been more helpful if she'd actually said it out _loud._

There's a split second where Chat looks up and makes eye-contact with her before she completely crashes into him.

Life having no mercy, Ladybug's yo-yo wraps around the two and leaves them suspended from a tall oak tree at least 15 feet off of the ground, faces inches apart. 

A Cheshire-like grin curves Chat's mouth, and his bright green, cat-like eyes glitter mischievously. "Falling for me already?"

"Just get us down."

Fifteen minutes later, Chat is holding Ladybug by the waist with one hand and extending his baton with the other. The two climb higher and higher into the sky, and Ladybug keeps her eyes pealed for anything suspicious.

"We're supposed to be looking for illumanized victims?" Ladybug queries skeptically, squinting.

"Akumatized," Chat corrects, glancing up at her. "Plagg said we'll probably have to purify a few before we hunt down the horde of akuma butterflies that Hawk Moth created."

"And my job is to purify the akuma?"

"Exactly," Chat responds easily, grinning. "I simply help you get to that point. We have to destroy the object first, though."

Ladybug opens her mouth to reply when something in the corner of her eye catches her attention. She cranes her neck just in time to see grey disappear behind a group of trees.

"There," Ladybug commands firmly, pointing at the exact spot she'd seen the weird sighting. 

Chat's staff tips in the direction she's pointing in, and Ladybug gives a small squeak of surprise, holding on to Chat a bit tighter. They land effortlessly, and Ladybug detaches herself from her partner with a cough.

"Where?" Chat asks softly, his back pressing against hers. 

The leather-like material of his suit feels odd against the latex-like substance of her own. She does her best to ignore it and slip back into "hero" mode.

Ladybug focuses her attention on each individual section of trees. Movement from her right is all she needs to turn and chuck her yo-yo. 

The magical weapon makes contact with a boulder―chest? It bounces off and hits the floor uselessly. The beast growls and grows almost twice its starting size.

 Ladybug blinks, retracts her yo-yo, and stares for a moment more before hissing,  _"Run."_

Chat takes off, extending his staff and vaulting himself high above the trees. Ladybug tries her luck with the yo-yo, startling as the heavy footsteps of the giant-like creature thunder behind her.

"Why am I such a major loser at this?!" she shouts out loud, her exclamation turning into a drawn-out shout as she gives her yo-yo an experimental tug and goes zipping through the air. 

**"I am Stoneheart! Where is Myl** **è** **ne?"**

"Stoneheart?" Ladybug asks skeptically, tugging hard on the yo-yo and watching with fascination as it disconnects itself from the tree it had originally hooked on to. She throws it again, and it practically cuts through the air and latches on to something else. "Wow!"

"Having fun?" Chat calls from somewhere above her, amusement touching his tone.

Ladybug allows an exhilarated laugh to leave her mouth as she continues flying through the air. Her heart lurches into her throat, and every inch of her buzzes with adventure and excitement. 

'Focus!' Tikki's voice echoes in her head, causing the bluenette to startle.

 _'Sorry,'_  she thinks sheepishly, shaking her free-spirited mentality away and refocusing her attention on the mission at hand. 

She spots a particularly tightly-knit thicket of trees and swings down to them, ducking behind one the trunks and releasing a shuddering sigh. 

"What's the plan?" Chat queries quietly, silently landing next to her hiding spot behind the trunk of a thick pine tree. 

"Good question," Ladybug answers, taking her lower-lip between her teeth. "Kinda new at this whole 'superhero' thing."

Chat places a hand on her shoulder, his smile warm and reassuring. "I have faith in you, Bugaboo." 

Ladybug's nose wrinkles at the horrid nickname. "Thanks for that sentiment. What on earth could his object be? He's all stone!"

Chat shrugs. "Barely looked at him."

Ladybug hums before snapping her fingers. "You be the distraction, and I'll hit him from behind."

She takes off before he has a say in the matter. He shrugs, speaking to no one in particular as he says, "I have a feeling this is how it's going to be from now on."

He takes off after her shortly, extending his staff and precariously balancing on it. He waves his arms and begins shouting at the big chunk of stone crouched in a clearing a football field's length away. 

Stoneheart leaps up with an earth-shattering thump, his hard glare turned on Chat Noir. 

"Found you, Kitty-Cat."

A panicked shout escapes Chat's mouth as something hits him over the back of his head. He turns only to get whacked again. His temple throbs painfully, and he can barely register the pair of cerulean-blue eyes that meet his. 

Eyes so different from that of his partner's.

His purple skin is blotchy with anger, and his chest heaves dramatically. His face would probably be tinted red if he was in his civilian form. 

"Come to join the pARTy?" Chat asks smartly, a smirk dawning on his lips despite the heavy throbbing of his head. 

The akuma floating on the hover-board growls, stylus coming down to draw something on the pad attached to his arm.

Chat is thrust out of the way just in time, his staff shaking dangerously. He takes a quick look down to see the anvil hurriedly descending upon the ground around the area where Stoneheart is rocking the life out of Chat's baton.

Frustrated and dizzy (and wondering what the hell Ladybug is doing), he pushes the button on his staff. It comes shooting up to him, leaving him to fall from the sky. 

With a grunt, he cringes when he extends it all the way to ground again. It makes contact with the hard soil and jolts his whole body, pain shooting down his right shoulder. 

He pushes past it and forces himself to keep moving; he has to find Ladybug. 

With a small grunt, Chat hits the ground and begins running. He might be able to lose the akuma on his tail in the trees. 

A thought occurs to him as he runs, and he pulls out his baton and flips it open. His eyes scan the different settings before he finds a 'call' button. Six different buttons with multi-colored insignias take up the screen, and he fumbles to press the red and black-spotted one.

Ladybug's face pops up, and his staff emits a sound similar to that of a phone when it's dialing a number. 

"Come on, come on," he mutters, glancing between the screen and the trees ahead of him. 

The stave clicks, and a feminine grunt comes through a hidden speaker. "Chat!" Her voice sounds relieved, but she seems tired. "Hold on." The screen goes black, and she shouts something as the sound of her yo-yo whirs through the air. 

Chat cringes when it makes an audible crack upon running into something before it comes zipping back. 

"I've purified eight akuma fluttering around, and just barely managed to take down a super creepy purple victim-turned-akuma." She lifts the camera up to her face. "Where are you?"

"Isn't that just the question of the year," Chat mutters in response, searching his surroundings for an identifiable landmark. The sea of trees seems daunting and ongoing the longer Chat runs.

"I'm not sure how many more there are," Ladybug admits, ignoring Chat's remark, "but we're barely beginners; I don't really even know what I'm doing."

Chat glances down at the screen to see her worried expression... and a familiar set of trees—as unlikely as that sounds. He glances up just in time to ran smack-dab into the heroine herself. 

He rubs his chest, eliciting a couple of chuckles as he offers his arm to steady her. "Why, hello there," he smarms, even going so far as to wink. 

Ladybug regains her balance and rolls her eyes, a smile gracing her lips. "It's the same two-step dance for you every time, isn't it, Chaton?"

Chat holds an affronted hand to his chest, almost grinning in delight. "My Lady! I don't know to what you are referring to!"

She giggles before grabbing his wrist and pulling him along behind her. "We've got to find somewhere to take cover. We can't be separated again."

Seeing an opportunity so splendidly laid out before him, Chat takes it, slipping his hand into hers and pulling ahead. "No purroblem." He throws another wink back at her, and his heart skips dangerously in his chest when she doesn't pull her hand away.

They run for a lot longer than Chat would have thought they could last. It probably has something to do with the suits and the heightened abilities and strengths the Kwami offer. 

"Oh!" Ladybug shouts over the shrieking wind. "I should probably find somewhere to detransform and feed my Kwami before my transformation gives out on me! Just a thought!" 

Chat swears under his breath and makes a split second decision to vault into the sky. He gently pulls Ladybug towards himself as he shoots through the air, effectively securing her to his side. 

"Vantage point," she acknowledges when they come to a stop hundreds of feet off of the ground. She scratches behind his cat ear, and to Chat's horror, the action elicits a purr on his behalf. "Good kitty."

Chat scans the area for any recognizable buildings, trying to ignore the fact that he might be turning into a friggin'  _cat_. Across the lake, the dorms and mess hall sit in peace, seemingly abandoned. Ladybug must have just realized the same thing, for she points in that direction. "There."

With a curt nod, Chat allows his stave to tip, and they plummet towards the ground. 

Ladybug suddenly jumps out of his hold and throws her yo-yo, her parting words being: "I think I can get there on my own, but thanks for the lift, kitty!" She winks before tugging on the magical string and zipping off. 

Chat's heart beats unevenly as he grins competitively and takes off after her, determined to beat her at her own game. 

_It's all about the chase, isn't it, My Lady?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *makes trumpet noises* Ta-da! I meant to finish this a lot sooner, but I've been working on a huge commission at the same time.


	6. A Job Not So Well Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yikes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, loves. Back with another part of this. Sorry for the wait.
> 
> Enjoy. ;)

The mid-afternoon sun glares off of the cabin window as Chat stares out of it, both watching for possible enemies and contemplating the chances of anyone having escaped the akumas' grasp. Or Hawk Moth's grasp, for that matter.

Where had his sudden villainous outburst come from, anyway? What's his plan? His goal? What does he want, and why do Chat Noir and Ladybug need to protect their magical jewelry at all costs? Obviously, Hawk Moth is the villain, but every villain has a motive (if the comics Adrien has been reading for years have any relevance or say on the topic). 

What would the Miraculous be able to grant him?

Shuffling from behind the closed bathroom door draws Chat's attention there, and he finds himself smiling. Ladybug and himself had had to make do with a random cabin so as not to reveal their civilian selves and their whereabouts to anyone potentially harmless. 

Chat had even dared to joke that they just get "the reveal" over with, though his playfulness was mostly sheer and raw curiosity.

"It's only a big deal if you make it one," Ladybug had chided, rolling her eyes at his ridiculous antics. "Our Kwami said we should never reveal ourselves for safety purposes."

In response, Chat had gestured wildly. "Safety purposes? Those are just about gone now! Wouldn't it just be easier if we knew each other outside of the mask?"

She'd had no rebuttal. 

Chat relinquishes a sigh, his eyes lazily wandering over the items scattered haphazardly across the cabin. At least, one half of the cabin.

One half seems to be in perfect shape; the bed sheets folded, the dressers tidy and spotless, and not a hair out of place anywhere. 

The second half, however...

Ladybug hisses what sounds like a profanity under her breath. 

Chat smirks, leaning against the bathroom door. "Having trouble?"

There's a startled bang and a small whine (probably of pain) before a response comes. "I don't have any food for my Kwami."

Chat nods thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's probably important."

"Thanks, Sherlock. Hadn't made that discovery yet," she snaps sarcastically, her back hitting the other side of the door. "How far are we from the mess hall? Do they even  _have_  cookies?"

"A thirty second run at most," Chat guesses, shrugging though he knows she can't see him, "give or take a few seconds. As for the cookies, I thought I saw some at dinner last night."

There's a lull in the conversation as she seemingly considers something. Finally, she speaks again.

"I hate to ask..."

"Already on it," Chat assures her, a genuine smile stretching his lips as he places a single clawed hand on the door. "I'll be back ASAP. Try not to miss me too much."

She mutters a sheepish "thank you," and Chat takes deep pleasure in the fact that she even sounds a bit... _bashful._

He opens the cabin door with a creak, quickly glancing around before silently stepping out. Fighting without Ladybug in the area is one thing; leaving her to fend for herself when detransformed is a completely different ball game. He'd hate to be the cause of her identity discovery (via Hawk Moth) by making his own whereabouts known; Chat would have to force her to reveal herself to him so he could get her out of harm's way.

And as tempting as that sounds, he's much too honest a guy for his own good. 

 _Sometimes being a decent person is hard,_ he decides, skirting along the shadows of the cabins towards the mess hall.

The door creaks ominously when he carefully pushes it open. He cringes slightly and creeps through the doorway, allowing the glass door the shut softly behind him. 

What he sees damn-near makes him turn around and run away right there. Tables are flipped and scattered about the space, and black scorch marks are present every five feet or so. Chat's mind reels when he spots blood dotting a couple of different places on the floor. 

He sidesteps a broken chair, toeing his way through the space until he's in front of the counter lining the far side of the hall. He quickly makes his way down the line, searching for cookies.

 _This is so strangely apocalyptic,_ Chat notes internally, shivering as he steps over a small pool of blood. 

Oh God. What if people are dying? That means he and Ladybug failed to purify all of the akuma in time... 

Chat stops dead in his tracks just as he's reaching to pick up a cookie from a plastic plate with a paper towel thrown over it. 

Then, he hears it.

It's faint, but it's there.

His cat ears twitch nervously.

_Whoosh._

He snatches a couple of chocolate chip cookies and shoves them into a small pocket on his torso's side, quickly zipping it shut before turning and crouching defensively. 

When he hears nothing else but very, very light breathing, he relaxes and slides into his default cockiness. 

"Now, really," he starts haughtily, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter comfortably, "do you honestly want to play this game with me? The cat always catches the mouse, you know."

The laugh he receives in return sends unpleasant shudders running down his spine. 

"Where do you get off saying such nonsensical things?" a feminine voice queries, holding her s's for a bit longer than a regular person might.  "And, quite frankly, I'm pretty sure a snake can eat a cat."

Red eyes emerge from the shadows of the half-destroyed building. Chat half expects her hair to be made of snakes, and is slightly disappointed to only see locks of scarlet hair tumbling down to her hips.

_A Medusa-like fight would have been so much fun._

The smirk curling the akuma's lips is a far cry from friendly, and as she moves closer to him, Chat realizes that her footsteps make no sound.

His eyes widen in horror when the snake-like girl slithers forward. The entire lower half of her body is a long green serpent tail with a rattle on the very end. Her blood-red eyes gleam in the mid-afternoon light streaming in through the windows, and Chat swallows a groan of horror.

He has two choices: try and fight his way out, or—

_Run._

Chat throws himself at the nearest glass pane, flinching when it shatters around his body on contact. He shrugs off the bits of glass, pleased to know that his suit protected him well enough from the brunt of it. He takes off sprinting towards the cabin he had left Ladybug in, even going so far as to use his staff to help him get there before the akuma can.

Unfortunately, this girl's quick.

She is fast approaching, and by the time Chat is yanking the cabin door open, the akuma is right behind him.

"Did you know that our Kwami were people when we first met them? They were posing as campers!" Ladybug announces from behind the bathroom door. "How weird is that?"

"Ladybug," Chat flinches when he presses his back against the door to keep it shut as the akuma slams into it, "akuma."

A beautifully breathtaking cerulean eye peaks through a crack in the bathroom door. "Do you have the cookies?"

Chat struggles to reach up and unzip his torso pocket and get a hold of the cookies as the akuma repeatedly slams herself into the door. He tosses the cookies at Ladybug's civilian self, and she catches them effortlessly, ducking back behind the bathroom door. 

A loud crash from the wall next to Chat sounds, and splintered wood scatters everywhere. A horrible hissing noise fills the air, and the serpent akuma comes slithering through the hole in the wall she's created. A malevolent smile stretches her lips, and Chat backs himself against the bathroom door. 

"Aww, are you scared, Kitty?" the she-serpent queries coyly, exaggerating the s's and slithering even closer.

Chat scoffs. "Nonsense, just have to protect M'Lady."

"That won't be necessary."

Both the akuma and Chat turn to see Ladybug standing in the front door's frame, hands on her hips as she grins confidently. 

"Screwed now, you are," Chat mutters, smirking at the villain and leaping over to join Ladybug.

"Your faith is flattering," Ladybug hums, quirking her eyebrow in amusement at him.

He shrugs. "What can I say? If flattery is the way to go, we'll be here all day." He wiggles his eyebrows at her, and she snorts in disbelief in response.

"Enough!" the akuma (she really hasn't mentioned a name yet) shrieks. "Are you two  _/always/_  like this?"

"Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all night." Chat grins smugly and winks, spinning his staff in front of himself and leaning on it.

"It's still daytime," Ladybug points out, casting a look over her shoulder, "which means this is ladybug territory, Medusa." She whirls on the villain and chucks her yo-yo, successfully tying the akuma's wrists together.

"It's Queen Cobra to you, Bug," 'Medusa' spits in response, her voice more or less a hiss in its entirety. She bares sharp, venomous-looking fangs. "I eat insects for breakfast."

"Actually," Chat pipes up, "cobras are cannibals and eat other snakes as well as birds, bird eggs and small mammals. Also your 'I will eat you' bit is getting old."

Ladybug and Queen Cobra both blink at Chat simultaneously, who merely puts his hands up in a defeated gesture after a moment of awkward silence. The two girls go back to struggling, Ladybug yanking on her yo-yo, and Queen Cobra playing tug-of-war with her hands. 

They both stumble out of the inordinately large hole in the cabin wall, tugging, clawing, and cursing at one another. Chat would laugh if Queen Cobra's fangs weren't bared viciously and looking about ready to take Ladybug's shoulder out. 

"Find—the—akuma," Ladybug grunts, digging her heels into the ground. "Or trade—trade with me."

Chat's eyes roam over the elaborate form of Queen Cobra, looking for some sort of object to destroy using his power. Before he can think for a moment longer, Ladybug loses her hold on the villain and falls backwards. Chat swoops forward and catches her before she hits the ground, and he steadies her back onto her feet. 

Ladybug exhales in frustration when Queen Cobra hisses and grasps the jeweled bracelet on her wrist. The rubies glimmer dangerously in the sunlight, so similar to the deadly scarlet shining in the akuma's eyes. 

"Does this get any easier?" Ladybug mutters spitefully, crouching into a defensive positions and spinning her yo-yo into a red blur.

Chat purses his lips. "I don't think so, My Lady."

A long silence stretches between the three, Ladybug and Chat Noir staring their opponent down with hard determination, and Queen Cobra glaring at them like she would like to be the one to put them in their caskets.

The sun is hot and heavy on his back, and Chat wipes the droplet of sweat that runs down his forehead.

They attack at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know, I know; it's short. I just felt like this was a good ending point for this chapter, which was really more of just a filler than anything. Next chapter is where are the real stuff happens, so patience is much appreciated!
> 
> Xoxo, J.


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